Search brisbanetimes:

No Goodna Bypass as ALP sweeps through state

Tony Moore | November 25, 2007 - 6:43AM

The $2.3 billion Goodna Bypass will not be built and the Ipswich
Motorway will be widened to six lanes on a route boosted by local
service roads and prepared by the Queensland Government almost
three years ago.

The Goodna Bypass was one of the key differences between Labor
and the Coalition in South East Queensland at this election and the
sweeping Labor victory means the Goodna Bypass will not
proceed.

If the Coalition had won a fifth term in office, construction
was set to start in late 2008.

In a massive swing to Labor in Queensland, the
project's key backer Liberal MP Cameron Thompson, lost his seat of
Blair which he has held since 1998 after a 12% swing to Labor.

Overall in Queensland last night the Coalition held seven seats,
while the ALP held 13 seats and independent one, with eight seats
still to be decided.

The Queensland seats of Bonner, Moreton, Blair, Petrie, Forde,
Dawson and Longman have already been lost by the Coalition to
Labor, staging almost a Brisbane-wide sweep to the ALP.

The largest swing to the ALP was in the seat of Forde around
Beaudesert where Liberal Kay Elson retired, where graphic designer
Brett Raguse won with a swing of 13%.

Blair was won by Ipswich lawyer Shayne Neumann who last night
said people wanted a change and had rejected the Goodna Bypass.

"We have had a major swing in Blair, a 15% swing in the rural
areas," he said.

However Mr Neumann said there were four reasons why he believed
the shift was on beginning with the image of new leadership offered
by Kevin Rudd.

"One woman told me that people were tired of John Howard," Mr
Neumann said.

"It didn't matter what he said or what he did, he could get her
back," he said.

"And I think that is what has happened."

Mr Neumann said Work Choices legislation and the Ipswich
Motorway was also major factors in his election.

He accused the Government of neglecting the Ipswich Motorway for
too long.

"It's been 11 years of neglect by the Howard Government," he
said.

"Quite clearly that road should have been built, and it will be
built."

Cameron Thompson could not be contacted last night.

However Liberal Michael Johnson held the seat of nearby Ryan -
where the bypass would actually run - despite suffering a
swing of around 6% to the Labor Party.

One of the biggest surprises was in Longman, to the north of
Brisbane, where popular indigenous affairs Minister Mal Brough lost
his seat to Labor's Jon Sullivan.

"I am very proud of the chance to represent my country at the
highest level," he said after conceding defeat.

He also pleaded with incoming prime minister Kevin Rudd to
pursue the interventionist indigenous affairs policies he had
recently started in the Northern Territory.